Over the past month....

Since the last blog post, we didn't do much of anything... until this past week.  

So, here's the stuff that happened earlier:

- Karaoke with our church at an event space on the square. (It was a fundraiser for a renovation of the youth room, so 6th grade - 12th grade kids were invited.)  Todd & Mercer were at baseball, of course, so Isabella and I went.

She ran around with kids she hasn't hung out with for a couple of years since the church retreat at Montreat.  Our pastor sang a T-swift song (very off-key) and I caught Isabella singing along!  She signed us up to sing a karaoke song... so we did!   

I sang "I'm walking on sunshine" and had the crowd going -- singing along.  Isabella sang her favorite "Golden Hour" song -- which was hard for her to hit all the notes, but she went with it and the crowd was so supportive!  

She had SO MUCH FUN -- now she wants to go to youth group!  

We liked the "DJ" (is that what you call the person who runs a karaoke event?  I guess she did play music in between) -- and we stayed to talk to her for awhile after the event.  She did a good job.  The crowd had a really great time.  

There was a lot of chatter about what a successful / fun event it was and people want to do it again!    Glad we went -- even though we were out really late on a school night!

(Isabella jumped in on this song close to the end and wanted to do the group dance moves -- she's 2nd from the right)

- LOTS of doctor and dentist appointments for me and the kids over break.  

(no photos. ha ha! - although we've been with Dr. Kewin since we brought Mercer back from Colorado... maybe we should get a photo with her and the kids since she's been a fixture in their entire lives.)

- We went on 2 college visits over the break.  The 1st was up at Georgia Highlands College (GHC) in Rome.  (This is where Isabella has gone to her medical camp for the past 2 summers.)  I thought it was cool to see where she had been spending her time - as part of the tour went through the biology labs where she said they did some activities!)  We didn't get to see the Graphic Design spaces / labs, as that wasn't a part of the tour for the 12 - 15 families that were all walking through.  The campus started out as Floyd County Junior (2 year) college.  They do have some Associate Degree programs, but they also have 4 year Bachelor Degree programs.  Mercer was interested in a 4 year program.

These photos are from the web!  This is considered a "commuter" college, though... so there is no on-campus housing.  This college is mainly for locals. He liked it and said he could see himself going there.  IF he went there, though, he would have to get an apartment (maybe 2nd year)... and it seems that he would want to go to a different campus -- the one where the baseball field is located.

We visited that campus on our way home (in Cartersville).  This campus had fewer buildings, but they were multi-story and house more students than the original Rome GA campus.

The sessions that we went to were really helpful.  We went to a financial aid session.  Talked to people about his epilepsy and suggestions for that.  They have a camping trip they can do one summer and knock out their science credits - we talked to the guy that coordinates that too.  It was an overall - good trip.   This college - between the 2 main campuses (and a couple of satellite buildings in nearby towns has about 6,000 students).  Supposedly he could take classes at any of the buildings.  (hmmm... maybe his freshman year, he takes core classes at the Marietta campus / live at home??)  Seems like about 1/2 of the student population is full time and the other 1/2 are part-time. 

I know it's not the traditional college experience, but we do need to figure out what's going to be the right fit for him.  On a side note - We are considering having him take some dual-enrollment classes through GHC while in high school.... for free!  So, if he did end up going there- that would be an easier transition.  

The other college visit we went to was Oglethorpe University. They have a communications heavy major, so it's not a direct fit for Graphic Design, but we checked it out because he knows someone there (a former teammate who is playing for their baseball team).  They do have some housing -- mostly for Freshmen.  It is a MUCH SMALLER student population (of less than 1500 students).  But - we could tell the vibe wasn't really right for him.  I don't think he likes historic buildings ?!?

The building where communications program is housed (next to the library).

The library - the Mac lab is in the basement and an art gallery at the top.

This tour happened a couple of days after Hurricane Helene passed near our area. No real damage, but they said they had closed the classes / many students went home so the buildings were mostly locked up.  We didn't get to see the library that was normally on tour nor the Mac lab that's in the basement of the library.  

We only went through one building (the STEM building -- and saw science labs... but that was bout it.  Isabella was taking notes and asking questions!  She seemed to like it!

We went down to the baseball field - Todd reminded me that he played there once when he was in his men's league after college.  Mercer did see - from a distance - the guy that used to be on his high school team that graduated last year. 

Oglethorpe is a beautiful (historic) campus.... but maybe not his thing.  They talked a lot about public speaking and writing...  so, this college didn't resonate as much with Mercer.  We get it.  We could tell he wasn't into it.  That's OK.... that's why we're doing the tours!  

The Oglethorpe tour was supposed to be on Thursday of fall break, but that's when the storm was supposed to come through later in the day, so it was pushed to a Saturday tour.   

We had a day trip planned to Augusta University all day Friday, but - this was supposed to be the heyday of when Hurricane Helene was coming through and I cancelled... then later on Thursday - when they realized the hurricane was going to the east of the state instead of through Atlanta, they cancelled.  

They are a small school that has Graphic Design (through their art program?) + a baseball team.  These are the two criteria for his post-secondary search.  We'll have to figure out when to get that one rescheduled.  

- We also went on a boat ride during break with "Uncle Orie."  

It was calm... and serene. 

It is just nice to get out and do something in nature / do something a little different than what we're used to doing.

  

The MAJOR thing that happened over fall break was Hurricane Helene.  It dumped tons of rain on us, but we were OK.  The storm was bigger than a typical cat 5 hurricane (when it made landfall).  It was slower moving.  It came inland still as a hurricane!  It was supposed to come up through Atlanta, but instead it wobbled over to the east.  It damaged Valdosta and nearby areas. Supposedly in Augusta there was some damage (although never saw coverage of that). 

The focus of the coverage - after Florida - was western North Carolina an Tennessee.  There are BILLIONS of dollars of damage up in the mountains.  (Unlike Florida - that is mostly sand that drains - the mountains are rock and clay.)  the 20 - 30" of rain had no where to go! 

The rivers crested and grew beyond comprehension.  It absolutely destroyed many of the mountain roads -- like parts of the scenic Blue Ridge Parkway -- were washed away and impassible until the unforeseeable future.

This is an interesting photo - you can see the power outages from the sweep of the hurricane.  The bright "star" to the left is Atlanta, but the swath to the east and north is where the hurricane winds and water knocked out power.

More than 1000 people were missing just after the storm in North Carolina alone (over 100 are reported as deceased in the state at this point, but there is not an update as to how many are still missing at this point). Accounts of people seeing their neighbors getting washed away and they couldn't help them was horrible to hear about.  It's just unimaginable.   We have people we know from college that are there.  (Asheville & Black Mountain) - we checked in with both.  Both of their families are OK / homes undamaged because neither was close to a river... but they are without power for (estimated) weeks.... one was telling us the substation that serves his neighborhood was washed away - a new sub station will need to be built.  And his business files / extra furniture in an off-site storage facility... it was full of mud and silt.  Everything ruined.  But he considers himself lucky because his house and family survived.  Just heart-wrenching.  

Todd's project Biltmore Park Town Square is OK - some businesses were without power, but no flooding. The historic Biltmore House is OK -- no damage to this mansion, but there are reports of other buildings on the grounds that are damaged. 

The worst of the damage in the Biltmore area is the historic Biltmore village just outside the grounds of the mansion... down in a low-spot if looking at the topography.  Buildings were under water.  Recent news reports show spaces that were filled with muck and the streets are full of silt that was left behind.  (they showed a tree with cardboard in it's branches and a chair -- at least 15' up into the air... showing that the water rushing through was that high!)  It's absolutely catastrophic.  

This is the Biltmore gatehouse at the "bottom" of the Biltmore property -- it has a high visible waterline. 

The only other college we've visited with Mercer was last spring to Montreat, NC (in Western NC).  It had a cute little creek that ran to a lake with a dam.  It also suffered.  Our church's retreat to that town (which is in / around the college campus) has been postponed for the spring because they're surveying the damage.  (The main conference hotel is up on a hill-side, so probably OK?)  But there were other buildings not up on the hillside that had water running through them.   

My friend from college, Cindy, also had the storm move through her area in South Carolina. She's near Greenville and she sent me this photo of their house and told me that luckily, this room that got hit is her son who just started college down in Savannah at SCAD, so he wasn't home.

Grateful that we only had a flooded back yard, but nothing else!  (This was not quite as bad - for us - as the "500 year flood" that came through in 2009, but it was close to the same amount of water. 

The storm impacted so so many!  And it will take decades, in some cases, to get back to where things were before Helene moved through their areas.

~~~~~~~

On another note -- we adopted a dog last week.  When we picked her up, she was healthy and happy!  .  (We took Hip-Hop to the shelter for a meet-and-greet. 

This dog, Saffy, was only one that he was OK with.  The others - not so much.... Hip-Hop would back away from the others.) 

And - the kids and us made more of a connection to Saffy than the others we met.  So, we brought her home (after stopping by the pet store for a few things + stopping by a friend's house for a crate they no longer needed)

Hip Hop was a little apprehensive, but, has been warming up to the idea of a new dog.

We took her to the vet the next day (Monday) and she got a clean bill of health. They say she looked like a "breeding" dog. Don't know if she's a purebred? We probably won't know.  (Either she was put out OR she ran away -- because she looked like a well-taken care of dog.)

But, late Wednesday, she threw up an insane amount.  We worked on keeping her hydrated and trying to get her to eat -- and eventually had to take her back to the vet after a couple of days because she couldn't even keep water down. 

They took x-rays and blood work. They noticed that her intestines were small, then large in a certain area - indicating a potential blockage + swelling.  They gave her something that may have helped her intestine and we brought her home, but she did not improve.... so.... we took a dog we have only had for 6 days to the emergency vet.  :/

They opened her up to find a partially decayed corn cobb in her intestine. They said she has probably had it for many weeks based on the decay and it eventually worked its way down to form the blockage.  (Perhaps she was scrounging for food before she was picked up by animal control?)  

SIGH

We visited her today at the emergency vet.  She had more energy, but was still wobbly.  They were feeding her through a tube.

She had not eaten solid food yet, but... the "plumbing" was working as stuff was coming out the back end.

The vet said she was lucky that Saffy had us as a family.  In a day or two, the corn cobb would have ruptured through her intestine.  She is currently in critical condition.

(so much for the used pick-up truck we were looking at for Mercer.  ?!)  But - the kids already fell in love with her and were so happy for those first few days!  

Saffy is a feminine name with multiple possible origins. Some believe it is a diminutive of the Old French name Saffron and an anglicized form of the Irish name Sadbh. As derived from Saffron, Saffy means ‘gold leaves’ from the Persian and Arabic word Za’faran, the name of a spice obtained from the crocus flower.

When derived from the term Sadbh this name derives the meaning ‘sweet’ from the Old Irish word Sadb and the Old Celtic root word Swādu. Further, the name Saffy holds a close resemblance in spelling and pronunciation with the Arabic name Safy, which comes from the Arabic word Safi, meaning ‘pure’ and is popularly used in countries like Egypt.  Saffy also derives the meaning ‘a wise one’ in Nordic and ‘clean’ or ‘best friend’ in Scandinavian.

Hopefully by the next time we blog, we will have a GREAT report on her well-being.  I feel positive about her return to health... after all, we accidentally bumped into her at the shelter (she was not one of the ones that was on our radar based on ours + Isabella's research) And felt more of a bond with her.  We crossed paths on purpose - so she could be a part of our forever family... and she's young.  We want her in our family for a long time!!  

Other things that have happened:  there was a presidential candidate debate. I'm sorry - but this is too funny not to post and remember here.... something that one of the candidates said that was so ridiculous.  

We had to replace our air conditioning unit upstairs, so while we were rearranging, Mercer found Todd's old baseball jackets:  

One from high school... one from college.  They fit him!

Speaking of baseball: the Mets got into the post-season playoff through one of the wild-card seats.

They beat the Phillies in order to go to the NCLS (National League Championship Series)  

Now they're playing the Dodgers.... which Mercer likes because of an injured pitcher who is now only a hitter and is on fire....  This will be a long week as the two teams - Mets & Dodgers - will have up to 7 games!!  They're just playing in that 2nd photo! 

Maybe we'll have a good report about the Mets by the time we publish the next blog too? (Todd hopes so!!)

Wrapping up with a funny photo of HH (this is before Saffy came into our house... notice the couch is NOT covered in towels in this photo!)